A biomarker analysis of the pivotal EMILIA trial suggests that women with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer with tumors that have high expression of HER2 derive the most robust benefit from treatment with the antibody-drug conjugate T-DM1 (also now known as ado-trastuzumab emtansine...

When sentinel node biopsy was shown to predict whether early melanoma had spread to regional lymph nodes, it revolutionized care. Before that, dissection of all regional lymph nodes was the norm for most patients. After that, the standard of care became a sentinel node biopsy and then—only if the...

The RESONATE trial is randomly assigning patients with refractory or relapsed CLL to either ofatumumab (Arzerra) or the investigational oral agent ibrutinib. Ofatumumab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody like rituximab (Rituxan), but is more potent as a single agent. It was approved for refractory ...

ASCO has unveiled the prototype of a computer system that will allow oncologists, from their desks, to leverage “big data” to measure the quality of care that their practices provide. The prototype is a major step in the development of CancerLinQ, a system that will eventually allow millions of...

Medical oncologists are apt to underestimate the resectability of liver metastases in patients with colorectal cancer and therefore often fail to refer potential surgical candidates for surgical consultation, according to a study presented at the 18th Annual Conference of the National Comprehensive ...

Is sentinel node biopsy in melanoma an essential component of care? Despite a large multinational trial and recently published or updated guidelines, the question is still a thorny one according to experts who debated the issue at the recent meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology in...

As reported recently in Lancet Oncology by Jaafar Bennouna, MD, of Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, Nantes, France, and colleagues, the phase III ML18147 trial showed a survival benefit with continued bevacizumab (Avastin) treatment after first progression in metastatic colorectal cancer.1 The...

In a study recently reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Peter T. Campbell, PhD, and colleagues from the Epidemiology Research Program of the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, found that more recreational physical activity before and after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer was associated with...

What factors determine who is referred to a medical oncologist and receives treatment for advanced cancers? Several articles in the Journal of Oncology Practice suggest that factors influencing referral and treatment go beyond the patient’s medical condition and preference and include such details...

The members of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have elected Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, as their President-elect for 2013-2014. Dr. Arteaga is Professor of Medicine and Cancer Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where he holds the Donna S. Hall Chair in Breast Cancer...

ASCO and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine (AAHPM) recently announced a joint initiative to support delivery of high-quality palliative care in medical oncology. The initiative is funded by ASCO’s first-ever grant from the Agency for Health Care Research Quality. The...

The Conquer Cancer Foundation Grants and Awards Program has grown tremendously in 30 years, from supporting just one researcher in the United States to thousands working around the world. These investigators are performing breakthrough research in all aspects of cancer and making discoveries that...

Starting on May 15, direct your patients to Cancer.Net, ASCO’s patient information website, to find easy-to-read summaries of studies released in advance of this year’s Annual Meeting. In addition, encourage them to listen to a panel discussion and Q&A session about these latest advances in a...

The ASCO-sponsored Patient Advocacy Booth, located near the entrance of the Oncology Professionals Hall at the ASCO Annual Meeting, is designed to give 26 nonprofit patient advocacy organizations an opportunity to promote their programs, services, and resources to the professional oncology...

In estimated 10,000 demonstrators filled the streets in front of Washington, DC’s historic Carnegie Library on April 8 to protest budget cuts at the National Institutes of Health. The Rally for Medical Research was held to “emphasize to our policymakers that medical research must become a national...

At the recent American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting in Miami, researchers presented interesting findings regarding melanoma and other skin cancers, as well as dermatologic effects of cancer agents. The following is a summary of one such study.

Elekta recently received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, allowing the company to begin shipping and installation of all components of the Versa HD system within the United States. The Versa HD radiation system, featuring high-precision beam shaping and tumor targeting, is capable of delivering...

The incidence of advanced breast cancer among women aged 25 to 39 years increased by an average of 2.07% per year from 1976 to 2009 and the trend seems likely to continue, according to an analysis of data for 936,497 women diagnosed with malignant breast cancer. The small but statistically...

“SEER data showed a small but statistically significant increase in the incidence of breast cancer with distant involvement for women aged 25 to 39 years,” concluded a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.1 “The trajectory of the incidence trend predicts that an...

Just 1 month after undergoing a mammogram that was deemed normal with some dense tissue in my left breast, my gynecologist felt a mass in that breast about the size of a cherry tomato during a routine well visit. After watching the lump for a month to see if it was cyclical, she sent me for another ...

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Survivorship Program and its Directors, K. Scott Baker, MD, and Karen Syrjala, PhD, have been selected to lead a nationwide study that aims to improve long-term health outcomes for cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 39 years.

Neurosurgeon and brain cancer researcher Eric Holland, MD, PhD, will be joining Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington in summer 2013. Dr. Holland will be Senior Vice President and Director of the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,...

Among 3,919 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who did not undergo transplantation in first complete remission, 1,271 relapsed and 19% were successfully treated with salvage therapy, according to an analysis of three AML trials in the United Kingdom. This percentage can be improved with a...

The use of duloxetine (Cymbalta) for 5 weeks “was associated with a statistically and clinically significant improvement” in painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy when compared with placebo in a phase III randomized, double-blind crossover trial reported in the Journal of the American...

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